M A I N   N E W S

Tohra men see divine retribution
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Jan 28 — The SHSAD of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra is on cloud nine these days.

The party, which found itself in a political limbo after the defeat of all its nominees in the recent parliamentary elections in Punjab, suddenly finds itself centrestage again, thanks to the confrontation between SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur and the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh over the Nanakshahi calendar.

The religious predicament in which Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his party have landed themselves has given Mr Tohra with another stick to beat them with and assert his supremacy in a field in which he has always excelled: Sikh religious affairs.

The SHSAD regards as “divine retribution” the excommunication of Bibi Jagir Kaur by Giani Puran Singh from the Sikh panth and SHSAD leader, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, a close aide of Mr Tohra said as much here today. “Whosoever defies Akal Takht, the seat of the Timeless and tries to lower its prestige and dignity is bound to come to grief. And this is just what has happened in the case of Bibi Jagir Kaur and Giani Puran Singh, both of whom were hand-picked by Mr Badal himself to occupy these august positions....”

Mr Chandumajra said that his party had been crying itself hoarse over the issue of maintaining the dignity and prestige of Akal Takht. But Mr Badal, in his anxiety to be the master of everything, paid no heed to their advice, and centralised in himself the control over the party, the government, the SGPC and finally the Akal Takht itself. But this was bound to boomerang, as it has now. Mr Badal is now finding the situation slipping out of control but is unable to assert his authority.

Mr Chandumajra was of the view that neither Giani Puran Singh nor Bibi Jagir Kaur were worthy of the high offices of Jathedar Akal Takht and President of the SGPC. He said while the SHSAD continued to regard Bhai Ranjit Singh as the “real” Jathedar of Akal Takht, those who regarded Giani Puran Singh as the Akal Takht chief should now abide by his “hukamnama” and stop interacting with Bibi Jagir Kaur with immediate effect.

He pointed out that the Chief Minister and certain members of the SGPC executive had already gone against the “hukamnama” by interacting with Bibi Jagir Kaur and should therefore be expelled from the Sikh panth.

He described as needless the controversy over implementation of the Nanakshahi calendar and blamed Bibi Jagir Kaur for mishandling the situation, which led to the confrontation between the SGPC chief and the takht chief. He pointed out that Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra had been quick to discern the divisive potential of the calendar and had kept the issue pending for several months during his presidentship of the SGPC. But Bibi Jagir Kaur had completely misread the situation and allowed things to get out of hand.

He wanted Bibi Jagir Kaur to present herself before Akal Takht and seek pardon so as to regain admission into the Sikh fold. He pointed out that this was the only honourable course left to her as there was no provision for a withdrawal, revision or review of the “hukamnama” issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takht.